The bins, distributed by kerbside collection partner Enviro NZ, contained "Ōtepoti Dunedin’s kerbside recycling and rubbish guide" and a green kitchen benchtop bin for gathering food scraps.
Collection of the existing yellow-lidded bins for mixed recycling and blue bins for glass recycling on alternating weeks will continue as usual. Green-lidded bins will be collected weekly, and red-lidded rubbish bins will be collected fortnightly, on the same day as the blue bin. Collection days will stay the same.
DCC infrastructure services committee chairman Cr Jim O’Malley said the new kerbside scheme was a great opportunity to reduce waste and emissions.
"By using the new bins correctly, people can make sure hundreds of tonnes of food and garden waste is diverted from landfill each week, composting it for re-use instead," Cr O’Malley said.
"This in turn will decrease landfill methane production, which should ultimately lower our landfill ETS [Emissions Trading Scheme] charges over time."
Residents will be able to use the green-lidded bins to dispose of food scraps and garden waste, including weeds, but not flax, cabbage tree or palm tree leaves, which jam the processing machinery. Nor should plastic, paper or metal of any kind be put in these bins.
Those concerned about weeds spreading in compost are reassured that the composting system will heat the food scraps and garden waste, killing off any weeds and seeds.
DCC Climate and City Growth general manager Scott MacLean said to achieve maximum waste reduction, residents needed to sort out their recycling correctly.
"We have provided, and will continue to provide plenty of helpful material about how to use the new bins and the two bins residents on kerbside collection routes already had," Mr MacLean said.
The council has also launched an updated "Dunedin Kerbside Collection" app, which includes collection day notifications and information about sorting recycling and rubbish into all four bins, plus a few new services.
"We’ve made the effort to translate written and video information into several languages, including New Zealand sign language, and made them available online," he said.
The targeted rate cost for the first year of the full, four bin kerbside recycling and rubbish collection service will be $301.50.
Making this change brings Dunedin into line with central government’s incoming Aotearoa NZ Waste Strategy regulations that food scraps collection services must be made available to properties in all urban areas by 2030.
Mr MacLean said there might be some hiccups along the way as the new collection service beds in.
"So we thank residents in advance for their patience while we work to address any setbacks or hold-ups as quickly as possible."
KEY MESSAGES
• Settling in period / bin swap:
A "settling in period" will run from Monday to January 2025, to allow householders to get used to the service and the collection team time to fill in any gaps.
After this, there will be a "bin swap period", from February to April, a period when property owners will be able to change their new bin size if they find it isn’t suitable, for no charge.
• Green-lidded bin:
Food scraps and garden waste only.
Never put in paper, plastics, compostable containers, liquids or bin liners of any kind.
• Red-lidded bin:
Any household rubbish that cannot be reused, repaired or recycled.
• Black bags:
Sales of DCC pre-paid black plastic rubbish bags stop at the end of June, 2024.
People will still be able to put them out for collection during a "mop-up" period in July. After that, they can be disposed of at the Green Island landfill at no charge.
• CBD services:
Daily collection of DCC black plastic rubbish bags in Dunedin’s central business district, and commercial sectors of South Dunedin will cease on July 31, 2024.
Council recommends CBD residents and businesses contact private waste collection providers.
